Zippered expansible back jacket



Oct. 27, 1964 P. R. LEPORE 3,153,793

ZIPPERED EXPANSIBLE BACK JACKET Filed on. 26, 1962 INVENTOR. PATsY R. LEPORE haw M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,153,793 ZIPPERED EXPANSIBLE BACK JACKET Patsy R. Lepore, Roselle Park, N.J., assignor to Mc- Gregor-Doniger Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 233,348 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-93) My invention relates to a jacket construction and more particularly to an improved jacket construction which alfords the wearer great freedom of movement while at at the same time being adapted to protect him against inclement weather.

In many out-of-door human activities the person engaging in the activities requires some measure of protection against the elements. One of the most popular garments for out-of-door wear is the jacket. This article of clothing protects the wearer against the elements and is itself not seriously damaged by them. Moreover, the jacket affords a much greater degree of freedom of movement than do longer coats and the like. While a jacket affords the wearer a high degree of freedom of movement still most jackets of the prior art do not afiord the wearer a sufficient degree of freedom of movement to permit him to engage in relatively strenuous activities requiring use of the arms such, for example, as athletics and the like.

While most jackets of the prior art adequately protect the wearer against inclement weather, in the event that the weather is fair and seasonable the jacket becomes hot and uncomfortable. Attempts have been made in the prior art to overcome the problem of overheating by providing the jacket or the like with openings or with inserts of relatively light material which permit the garment to breathe. Vlhile they accomplish this purpose it will readily be apparent that they tend to defeat the primary purpose of the garment which is to protect the wearer against the elements. Moreover, the inserts themselves customarily are made from a relatively fragile material which is subject to being torn so that the life of the garment is determined not by the basic material of which it is made, but rather by the relatively short life of the light material used for the inserts.

I have invented a zippered eXpansible back jacket which ermits the wearer a high degree of freedom of movement. My jacket protects the wearer against the elements as well as do jackets of the prior art which afford only a relatively low degree of freedom of movement. My zippered expansible back jacket permits the garment to breathe without detracting from the appearance of the garment.

One object of my invention is to provide a zippered expansible back jacket which affords the wearer a high degree of freedom of movement in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a zippered expansible back jacket which protects the wearer against the elements as well as do jackets of the prior art which afford only a relatively low degree of freedom of movement.

A further object of my invention is to provide a zippered expansible back jacket having a life which is determined by the life of the fabric forming a major portion of the garment.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a zippered expansible back jacket which permits freedom of movement and which can breathe while not detracting from the appearance of the jacket.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description.

In general my invention contemplates the provision of a jacket having shoulder inserts of stretchable netlike material which permit freedom of action and which provide ventilation when the jacket is in use. I provide zippers for closing the insert openings and pleats which conceal the zippers closing the openings when protection from the elements rather than freedom of movement or ventilation is the primary concern of the wearer. My pleats act as air scoops to enhance ventilation when the zippers are open.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view from the back of my zippered expansible back jacket with the jacket laid open to show the parts thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view from the rear of my expansible back jacket affording freedom of movement and ventilation.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of my expansible back jacket taken along the line 33 of FIG- URE 2 and drawn on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view with parts in section illustrating details of construction of my zippered expansible back jacket.

Referring now to the drawings my zippered expansible back jacket, indicated generally by the reference character It), is made of any suitable fabric and has a left front panel 12 and a right front panel 14. Respective side panels 16 and 18 are secured to the front panels by lines of stitching 20 and to the back 22 of the jacket by stitching 24. The sleeves 30 and 32 are secured to the front panels 12 and 14 and to the side panels 16 and 18 by stitching 34. The jacket 10 is provided with a collar 36 and cuffs 38 and 49. A zipper 42 is adapted to be operated to close the front of the jacket.

The lines of stitching 24 secure the back panel 22 to the side panels 16 and 18 of my jacket from the jacket hem 44 only approm nately half way up the back of the jacket. From that point the lines of stitching continue at 46 up to the seams 48 between the back panel 22 and the front panels 12 and 14 to form flaps or pleats 51 which normally cover openings 52 in the shoulders of the garment. We secure respective inserts 54 within each of the openings 52. One edge of each of the inserts 54 is held by the corresponding line of stitching 46 while the other edge is held by stitching 56 so that the inserts extend over the Whole area of their respective openings.

I form each insert 54 from a mesh-like expansible material which not only permits the wearer great freedom of movement but which also effectively ventilates the jacket. I have found that a material comprising yarns spun from segmented polyurethane polymer fibers, which is manufactured by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company and sold under the registered trademark Lycra, is uniquely suitable for use to form the inserts 54. This material has the desirable properties of high strength, uniformity, abrasion resistance, high modulus and flex life as well as resistance to weathering. Yarn comprising fibers of this polymer is made into a fabric which forms the inserts 54. In FIGURE 4 I have shown a magnified view of the insert indicated generally by the reference character 54 in this figure. I form the fabric 54 on a warp knitting machine which draws threads of each yarn 58 into the adjacent yarn to provide the net-like structure shown in the drawings. From its relaXed state the material can be greatly expanded as when the wearer of my jacket stretches his arms.

As is pointed out hereinabove one edge of the insert 54 is secured to the garment by a line of stitching 56. This line of stitching 56 also secures a tape 62 carrying zipper teeth 64 to one edge of the opening covered by the insert 54. A line of stitching 66 secures the other zipper tape 68 having teeth 64 to the inside of the flap 54) at a point about half way across the width of the flap 50. When the zipper teeth are engaged by operation of a slide 60 to close the opening in which the insert is disposed, flap 5%) overlies the zipper so that it is effectively concealed from view and at the same time the wearer is adequately protected from the elements. When the zippers are open the flaps 50 act as air scoops to direct air to the interior of the jacket.

In use of my jacket, when the wearer is engaged in relatively strenuous-activities he operates slides 60 to disengage the Zipper teeth 64 associated with each of the inserts 54 so as to uncover the openings 52. When this is done he may move his arms freely and at the same time the stretchable mesh insert 54 permits air to enter into the jacket for ventilation. The air scoops 50 direct air into the interior of the jacket through the inserts 54. If protection against the elements becomes important, for example when the weather turns from good to bad, the wearer merely closes the zippers by operating slides 60. When this is done the flaps 5i) overlie the zippers and the inside of the jacket is effec tively sealed so that the wearer is well protected against the elements. At the same time flaps 50 effectively conceal the zippers.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. 1 have provided a zippered expansible back jacket which affords the wearer a high degree of freedom of movement. My jacket effectively ventilates the inside of the jacket without detracting from the appearance thereof. My jacket protects the wearer against the elements as well as do jackets of the prior art which make no provision for affording the wearer such freedom of movement as is permitted by my jacket.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations.

This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obviousthat various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A garment comprising a back and respective shoul der portions, means forming respective vertically extending openings in said back, said openings being located in said back adjacent to and below said shoulder portions, respective inserts of resilient pervious mesh-like material secured to said back and extending over said openings, said resilient inserts tending normally to close said openings while affording freedom of movement, respective actuatable means for selectively closing said openings and means for concealing said closing means when said openings are closed.

2. A garment as in claim 1 wherein said inserts are formed from yarns including segmented polyurethane polymer fibers and wherein said concealing means comprise flap portions of said back.

3. A garment as in claim 1 wherein said selective closing means comprise slide fasteners and wherein said concealing means comprise flap portions of said back extending beyond said zippers when closed, said flap portions being adapted to act as air scoops when said fasteners are unfastened and to conceal said fasteners when closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A GARMENT COMPRISING A BACK AND RESPECTIVE SHOULDER PORTIONS, MEANS FORMING RESPECTIVE VERTICALLY EXTENDING OPENINGS IN SAID BACK, SAID OPENINGS BEING LOCATED IN SAID BACK ADJACENT TO AND BELOW SAID SHOULDER PORTIONS, RESPECTIVE INSERTS OF RESILIENT PERVIOUS MESH-LIKE MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID BACK AND EXTENDING OVER SAID OPENINGS, SAID RESILIENT INSERTS TENDING NORMALLY TO CLOSE SAID OPENINGS WHILE AFFORDING FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, RESPECTIVE ACTUATABLE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CLOSING SAID OPENINGS AND MEANS FOR CONCEALING SAID CLOSING MEANS WHEN SAID OPENINGS ARE CLOSED. 